Gregory D Leschishin

Gregory D. Leschishin, 69 years of age, passed away tragically on May 5,

2025 in Lowell, Massachusetts.  Predeceased by his parents Zenon and Iris (nee Chehowy) Leschishin; survived by brothers Denis (Phyllis) of Duluth, Minnesota;  Mark (Barbara) of Wawa, Ontario, Canada, and Taras of Roslindale.  Also survived by many cousins, nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, and grand-nieces and family friends. He will be missed by his many co-workers at Hanscom AFB, his many colleagues in the amateur sport boxing world, friends in the rock’n roll music industry, and especially friend Valerie Martin and his “adopted daughters and son”: Mary, Andrea, and CJ. 

Born and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area, Greg earned an early childhood education degree at Rio Grande College, Ohio, graduating with cum laude honors.  He taught grades 1-6 at locations in Ohio, Colorado, and Massachusetts over different periods during his lifetime.  More recently, he was an instructor of adult education with U Mass Boston and Lexington Community Education Program.

While at Rio Grande, Gregory started boxing during his freshman year and became the Heavyweight Bronze medalist at the Golden Gloves in 1977. His interest in boxing flourished over the years, having started the Boston Sport Boxing Club in 1987 soon after moving to the Boston area to be closer to family.  Gregory trained, coached, and mentored many aspiring male and female amateur boxers and refereed for over 35 years and was known by nearly everyone in the local sport amateur boxing community.  He eventually co-founded the USA Boxing New England Chapter and served on its Executive Board for 28 years.  He was involved with many local and national boxing initiatives and worked his way to achieve the level of Master Official of Olympic-Style Boxing.  His dream was to referee for the boxing venue at the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.  Aside from his refereeing duties, Greg was often asked to sing the National Anthem at the onset of these boxing events with his booming voice.

Gregory pursued his passion for rock’n roll music and its history by working for Cashbox in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1987, after finishing teaching in Colorado.   He did some spots there working as a DJ and interviewed several famous music personalities.  His knowledge of rock’n roll history was impeccable - he could rattle off the Number 1 hit for any given week over the last 60 years without blinking an eye.  He forged many friendships and maintained contacts with many involved with the music industry. Recently, he had been teaching rock’n roll history classes online through local community educational institutions.

Since 1995, Gregory has worked at Hanscom Air Force Base (US Air

Force/66 Force Support Squadron) serving in roles as Child and Youth Program Assistant and Manager/Information Tickets, Tours and Engraving. Among his duties as a Child and Youth Program Assistant, Gregory is especially remembered for his time at the School Age Program and the summer “Camp Quest”, where for many years he mentored and cared for hundreds of children and dozens of camp counselors.  For them, “Mr.

Greg” will always be a model of how to be both a leader and a true friend.  Greg was a relentless volunteer on the Base and his sustained exceptional performance paved the way to one squadron level award and culminated in his selection as the 2020 66th Air Base Group, Bobby Jacques Spirit Above Beyond Award.  This prestigious award is only selected annually.  Additionally, his ceaseless efforts were vital to winning four Air Force level awards - Major General Eugene Eubank Award, the best small Force Support Squadron in command.

Gregory was also an avid bicyclist, partaking in several local biking events during his off-duty hours.

Gregory also loved the outdoors and was an ardent hiker and could often be seen exploring the many parks and conservation areas in and around the Boston area.  He would often post photos of himself and/or others that accompanied him on his latest excursion to his facebook page.  He became dedicated to reaching his 10,000 steps everyday and hiked often to ensure his goal was met.

Greg was large in stature but had a gentle soul, often referred to by his friends and colleagues as the “Gentle Giant” or the “Big Teddy Bear”.  Among some friends and family, he was known as the “Big Moose”

or “Big Lug”.  Naturally, he had a large presence when he entered the room, but had the ability to reach out to anyone, regardless of their position in life.  He touched the lives of many through his kindness and generosity.  His generosity now lives on though the lives of four other people who received his organs when he passed away.  A truly amazing gesture of charity even upon his departure from this life.

Greg dedicated over 19 years to federal service and was known for his larger-than-life presence. He was a staple of Team Hanscom, positively impacting those around him whether it was during his time in Child and Youth Programs, as a boxing coach across New England and a USA Boxing official, while teaching music history, or leading outdoor and community events. Greg will be deeply missed as he leaves behind him a legacy marked by compassion, joy, and service.

Visitation to take place at Robert J. Lawler & Crosby Funeral Home, 1803 Centre Street, West Roxbury, Massachusetts on Friday May 23rd from 9:00 to 11:00 am, followed by funeral service at St. Theresa of Avila, 2078 Centre Street, West Roxbury at 11:30 am. For those unable to attend the funeral service, it will be available via livestream at https://www.sttheresaparishboston.com Internment will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Gregory’s memory be sent directly to the following charities: Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).  Other suggested charities will be posted in the coming days on Gregory’s Facebook page.